Is Apple Losing its Polish?

[adamz]

I came across an interesting post on Crave (http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9782633-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave) today which referenced a number of other equally interesting articles about Apple's monopoly and questionable business practices. Is this just spreading FUD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear%2C_uncertainty_and_doubt) or is the Reality Distortion Field (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_distortion_field) beginning to fade? That's the feeling you get while surfing the Web this week. The iPhone price-drop brouhaha (http://crave.cnet.com/Apple-introduces-new-iPods,-iPhone-price-drop/2009-1041_3-6205998.html) was largely stopped in its tracks by Steve Jobs' $100 mea culpa (http://crave.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9773207-37.html), but a string of successive snafus have cropped up in Apple-land in the weeks thereafter. Digg users are asking, Is Apple giving up on its customers? (http://www.digg.com/apple/iPhone_iPod_Is_Apple_Giving_Up_On_Its_Users) According to The Consumerist, the answer may well be yes (http://consumerist.com/consumer/sad/apple-urges-you-to-take-at-least-some-responsibility-for-your-defective-ibook-302325.php). Meanwhile, iPod enthusiast site iLounge highlights four of the recent sticks in the collective eye of iPod fans--the need to rebuy iPod games for new models, the breaking of backwards compatibility with iPod video accessories, bad iPod Touch screens, and the iPhone ringtone policy (repaying to use music you already own)--and asks, Is Apple going rotten? (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/customers-ask-is-apple-going-rotten/) ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady details how Apple may be "blacklisting" hacked iPhones (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=882) (or is the company just enforcing the user agreement to the letter?). And Crave's own David Carnoy joins the Apple fray, suggesting that it's the wrong time to buy an iPod (http://crave.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6776691-1.html). It may well be time for Apple shogun Steve Jobs to issue another open letter to give his side of the story. Unfortunately, he's got some other pressing issues (http://crave.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9782024-37.html) on his plate. So, what do you think: Is Apple still the king of consumer electronics cool--or has it supplanted Microsoft as the new Evil Empire (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136949-c,companynews/article.html)?

[ajwalker]

Apple's been on the course for awhile, it's just nobody was paying attention. The marketing had worked to convince people that Steve Jobs and Co were out to make the world a better place when in reality, their motives are the same as any other business. I simply think the real motivations are starting to catch up: Apple is a company that wants to seperate you from your money just like any other company. They may make cool looking products, but at the end of the day, they will do whatever they have to generate profits and satisfy shareholders. At the same time, I don't sense they want to lose their "touchy-feely" image so soon so I would expect some positive spin PR to be issued to make the Mac faithful feel good again.

[weatheryoko]

ajwalker: Well said. I always thought it was a bit odd how Apple "spins" itself as a very "green/eco-friendly" company, but they continue to produce products that are 1) generally non-upgradable 2) many times incompatible with the previous model's accessories (i.e. Many iPod docking stations that could send the video out signal from a 5th generation iPod are no longer able to transmit a video signal with the new iPod Classic). This attitude seems incredibly wasteful and un-eco-friendly. I mean come on, if you want a larger hard drive in your iMac, you either have to buy an external one or buy a new iMac. Changing internal harddrive out on a computer is not exactly rocket-science. Also, forget about upgrading your video card too....

[Brandon Miniman]

ajwalker: Well said. I always thought it was a bit odd how Apple "spins" itself as a very "green/eco-friendly" company, but they continue to produce products that are 1) generally non-upgradable 2) many times incompatible with the previous model's accessories (i.e. Many iPod docking stations that could send the video out signal from a 5th generation iPod are no longer able to transmit a video signal with the new iPod Classic). This attitude seems incredibly wasteful and un-eco-friendly. I mean come on, if you want a larger hard drive in your iMac, you either have to buy an external one or buy a new iMac. Changing internal harddrive out on a computer is not exactly rocket-science. Also, forget about upgrading your video card too....

I don't see how a company can be cutting edge AND green, can you? Usually being green means compromise on something...and Apple doesn't really compromise.